BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

INTRODUCTION

• The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comedy by William Shakespeare, first published in 1602, though believed to have been written prior to 1597.

• It features the character Sir John Falstaff, the fat knight who had previously been featured in Henry IV Parts 1 and 2.

HISTORY

• The play's date of composition is unknown; it was registered for publication in 1602, but was probably several years old by that date. Textual allusions suggest that the play may have been intended for performance in April 1597, prior to the installation at Windsor in May of the Knights-Elect of that order; if so, it was probably performed when Elizabeth I attended Garter Feast on 23 April.

• This was the year Lord Hunsdon, the Lord Chamberlain, was admitted to the Order and that, as a patron of Shakespeare's playing company The Lord Chamberlain's Men he could have commissioned the play for performance that evening.

• This only speculation, but it is consistent with a story first recorded by John Dennis in 1702 and Nicholas Rowe in 1709: that Shakespeare was commanded to write the play by Queen Elizabeth, who wanted to see "Falstaff in love".

SETTING

• The Windsor of the play's title is a reference to Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England, and though nominally set in the reign of Henry IV, the play makes no pretence to exist outside contemporary Elizabethan era English middle class life.

• Merry Wives is Shakespeare's most middle-class play in setting, subject matter, and outlook. It's also one of his most farcical works, using physical gags and linguistic jokes to establish a comic tone that influence the play's ultimate spirit of reconciliation, after all the intrigues have been sorted out.

CHARACTERS

• Sir John Falstaff

• Bardolph, Pistol, Nym, (Followers of Falstaff)

• Robin, page to Falstaff.

• Messrs. Ford & Page, two Gentlemen dwelling at Windsor.

• William Page, a Boy, Son to Page.

• Sir Hugh Evans, a Welsh Parson

• Doctor Caius, a French Physician.

• Rugby, a Servant to Doctor Caius.

• Mistress Quickly, Servant to Doctor Caius.

• Shallow, a Country Justice.

• Slender, Cousin to Shallow.

• Simple, Servant to Slender.

• Fenton, a young Gentleman.

• The Host of the Garter Inn.

• Mistress Ford

• Mistress Page

• Anne Page, Mistress Page's daughter, in love with Fenton.

THE STORY

• Falstaff arrives in Windsor very short on money. He decides, to obtain financial advantage, that he will court two wealthy married women, Mistress Ford and Mistress Page.

• Falstaff decides to send the women identical love letters and asks his servants – Pistol and Nym – to deliver them to the wives. When they refuse, Falstaff sacks them, and, in revenge, the men tell Ford and Page (the husbands) of Falstaff's intentions.

• Page is not concerned, but the jealous Ford persuades the Host of the Garter to introduce him to Falstaff as a 'Master Brook' so that he can find out Falstaff's plans.

THE SUBPLOT

• Meanwhile, three different men are trying to win the hand of Page's daughter, Mistress Anne Page. Mistress Page would like her daughter to marry Doctor Caius, a French physician, whereas the girl's father would like her to marry Master Slender.

• Anne herself is in love with Master Fenton, but Page had previously rejected Fenton as a suitor due to his having squandered his considerable fortune on high-class living.

• Hugh Evans, a Welsh parson, tries to enlist the help of Mistress Quickly (servant to Doctor Caius) in wooing Anne for Slender, but the doctor discovers this and challenges Evans to a duel.

• The Host of the Garter prevents this duel by telling both men a different meeting place, causing much amusement for himself, Justice Shallow, Page and others. Evans and Caius decide to work together to be revenged on the Host.

FALSTAFF’S FOLLIES

• When the women receive the letters, each goes to tell the other, and they quickly find that the letters are almost identical.

• The "merry wives" are not interested in the ageing, overweight Falstaff as a suitor; however, for the sake of their own amusement and to gain revenge for his indecent assumptions towards them both, they pretend to respond to his advances.

• This all results in great embarrassment for Falstaff. Mr. Ford poses as 'Mr. Brook' and says he is in love with Mistress Ford but cannot woo her as she is too virtuous. He offers to pay Falstaff to court her, saying that once she has lost her honour he will be able to tempt her himself.

• Falstaff cannot believe his luck, and tells 'Brook' he has already arranged to meet Mistress Ford while her husband is out. Falstaff leaves to keep his appointment and Ford soliloquises that he is right to suspect his wife and that the trusting Page is a fool.

FALSTAFF’S REWARD

• The Merry Wives then begin to play a series of embarrassing “tricks” on Falstaff, including hiding him in a hamper of dirty, smelly clothes, and getting him to disguise himself as Mistress Ford’s fat aunt, and is subsequently beaten black and blue and thrown out of the house by Master Ford, who despises his aunt.

A FINAL BIT OF MERRIMENT

• Eventually the wives tell their husbands about the series of jokes they have played on Falstaff, and together they devise one last trick which ends up with the Knight being humiliated in front of the whole town.

• They tell Falstaff to dress as "Herne, the Hunter" and meet them by an old oak tree in Windsor Forest. They then dress several of the local children, including Anne and William Page, as fairies and get them to pinch and burn Falstaff to punish him.

• Page plots to dress Anne in white and tells Slender to steal her away and marry her during the revels. Mistress Page and Doctor Caius arrange to do the same, but they arrange Anne shall be dressed in green. Anne tells Fenton this, and he and the Host arrange for Anne and Fenton to be married instead.

• If there be no great love in the beginning, yet heaven may decrease it upon better acquaintance, when we are married and have more occasion to know one another: I hope, upon familiarity will grow more contempt.Slender, Act 1 scene i

• Bear you these letters tightly;Sail like my pinnace to these golden shores.Falstaff, Act 1 scene iii

• Thou art the Mars of malcontents.Pistol, Act 1 scene iii

• Here will be an old abusing of God's patience, and the King's English.Mistress Quickly, Act 1 scene iv

• We burn day-light.Mistress Ford, Act 2 scene i

• I love not the humour of bread and cheese; and there's the humour of it.Nym, Act 2 scene i

QUOTES

• Why, then the world's mine oyster,Which I with sword will open.Pistol, Act 3 scene ii

• This is the short and the long of it.Mistress Quickly, Act 3 scene ii

• I have pursued her, as love hath pursued me; which hath been, on the wing of all occasions. But whatsoever I have merited, either in my mind, or in my means, meed, I am sure, I have received none, unless experience be a jewel.

Ford, Act 3 scene ii

• Falstaff: Of what quality was your love then?Ford: Like a fair house, built on another man's ground.Act 3 scene ii

• We have some salt of our youth in us.Shallow, Act 3 scene iii

CRITICISM

• Most critics consider Merry Wives to be one of Shakespeare's weakest plays, and the Falstaff of Merry Wives to be much inferior to the Falstaff of the two Henry IV plays.

• That Shakespeare would so stumble with one of his greatest creations is puzzling and a satisfactory reason for this remains to be found.

MERRY WIVES IN THE ARTS

• Although not one of Shakespeare’s best plays, it’s been popular enough to generate a few film adaptions as well as comic operas. Notable ones include:

• A 1982 Television film for the BBC

• A 2012 live theatrical film from the Globe Theatre

• Verdi’s famous Italian opera Falstaff

A NUTSY THE SQUIRREL PRODUCTION

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